Outstanding career opportunity with a bi-national organization whose mission is to connect people and communities with the natural resources that nourish and sustain them. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of eight years’ experience marketing and fundraising overseeing multiple staff and management functions. If you are ready to help make the West great again then keep reading and prepare yourself for an opportunity like no other.

Who we are

Sonoran Institute is one of the leading and most innovative environmental organizations. Founded in Tucson, Arizona, in 1990, we are currently working throughout the Colorado River basin in the US and Mexico to protect land, restore rivers, and adapt climate change. We are part of a binational coalition leading efforts to restore the Colorado River Delta and, in 2017, we secured a huge vote of confidence from water users in the US and Mexico with signing of a new binational agreement that will allow us to scale up our restoration efforts in the Delta. Mexicali Fluye, another major program of ours, is working with neighborhoods to clean up agricultural drainages and lagoons throughout the city. The removal of trash and plantings are creating green corridors that help improve community health and local quality of life.

General Overview

The Director of Development and Marketing (DDM) is responsible for development and implementation of the marketing and development strategy for the Sonoran Institute, integration of the marketing strategy, organization’s development plan, and for supervision of marketing and development staff. This includes managing a portfolio of major gifts and developing a corporate strategy and developing corporate relationships to support the mission of the Sonoran Institute through financial support, cause marketing, sponsorships and licensing. The DDM will be responsible for prospecting, partner and donor cultivation, solicitation (often in tandem with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), development staff, program directors and program staff), management and stewardship, proposal strategy, contract negotiation, management of consultants and contractors, and management of marketing, recognition and benefits related to corporate partner commitments.

Key Responsibilities

Develop and manage a portfolio of 100+ prospects and donors to engage and solicit for fundraising. This portfolio serves as a pipeline for new Hummingbird Circle members

Work closely with the Executive Team, board members and lead program staff to develop and implement annual and major gift strategies, and to prepare written proposals for donors and donor prospects. Support them in actively managing their personal portfolios of prospect and donor accounts

Plan and implement special events and field trips to engage supporters; plan and manage Board events

Develop and deliver marketing and communications strategies for the organization; communicate marketing plan to whole organization; ensure that marketing objectives are implemented by the marketing team

Assure sound fiscal operation of development function including timely, accurate gift income and expense budgets, department financial monitoring and reports

Support Executive Team and Board Committees with reports; provide them with necessary tools to meet fundraising goals

Education & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, including but not limited to business, environmental sciences, communications or liberal arts

A minimum of 8 years of experience in marketing, fundraising, including grant writing, direct mail, donor relations, special events. Energetic, outgoing, flexible, creative, and a proactive problem solver

Required

A commitment to natural resource conservation

Excellent project management and organizational skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Ability to prioritize and balance multiple projects simultaneously

Experience with web-based tools and collaboration

Proven track record in developing and implementing successful fundraising campaigns

Proven track record in securing major gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations

Bi-lingual; ability to read, write, and translate documents from Spanish to English/English to Spanish

About Sonoran Institute

The Sonoran Institute’s mission is to connect people and communities with the natural resources that nourish and sustain them. We work at the nexus of commerce, community, and conservation to help people in the North American West build the communities they want to live in while preserving the values which brought them here. We envision a West where civil dialogue and collaboration are hallmarks of decision making, where people and wildlife live in harmony, and where clean water, air, and energy are assured.